Forum - View topicThe Mike Toole Show - ShopTales
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streexanime
Posts: 78 |
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Ohio is kind of lacking. My usual look arounds are Northeast Ohio and sometimes Columbus. I find Candy toys every now and then at Tensuke Market (they usually have Kamen Rider, Pokemon and Naruto candy toys). Tensuke Market is a great place to get your Japanese ingredient in Ohio. Very friendly staff as well. Hana Gift next to Tensuke Markets you can get some really cheap used manga. I got several SD Gundam manga from there. It's great for getting your Bento supplies as well.
It's usually comic shops that carry the anime goods. The one down the street from me goes to the cons and sells but they usually only have the mainstream of the mainstream. Their usual price-markups makes me wary of actually custom ordering with them. Some of the comic shop owners will haggle with you if you are a regular enough and by a good amount of merchandise. Cons are about the only place to get things if you don't want to import from a website. Though a bootleg seller usually ends up at the smaller cons. Shinbokucon (late spring, early summer convention run by a community college) was one of these. Seller was trying to sell fake nendoroids. Amazed to find the bootleggers to actually copy the authenticity stickers. But he was selling some $60 nendoroids at $20-$35. Plastic and the paint job gave it away. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4613 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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I think Mikwaukee's Anime Fan Zone survives by being in a biggish building in a low rent area that is still apparently easy for suburb kids to reach- and also largely on it's gaming attractions. It has a full size arcade with some rare games (and come to think of it, it may be the only arcade in town) and a card game side business (although there's a separate, older, and quite successful gaming specific store a few miles away that has to cut into that.) The merch seems to have the same focus as the one profiled in the article and the proprietors are also apparently conventioneers that take a lot of their stock on the road regularly.
There's also a successful comic store, Lost World of Wonders (I'd link to it but I don't think it's been updated in 6 years), that has an anime side. They seem a bit late in the merchandise changeover and endeavor to stock manga and a selection of DVD's but the DVD section in particular seems to be shrinking and largely occupied by overpriced early-volume old stock. I think they still do rentals as well. There used to be another store, Hobby Zone(?), that had seniority in the area (a Genma/Panda sign was their store logo) and was a place I used to visit semi-regularly to rent titles pre-Netflix. I think they were brought down by a few factors- the DVD retail implosion of course, they switched to merchandise too early (it took awhile for that to catch on, remember) and most of all, a city street location in an area on the edge of gentrification- their rent ended up killing them. Considering the name AFZ might be operated by the same people on a completely different side of town but I believe that was owned by on older man and AFZ is owned by a younger generation. Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Avah
Posts: 7 |
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The last great shop I went to was Lone Star Comics in Irving. They hade a good selection and the girl working there was the cutest anime nerd I have ever seen. I was only visiting so I don't know if it's still there.
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cl-shojo
Posts: 70 Location: New York |
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Reading this makes me feel bad because I stopped going to my local anime store, Image Anime, about four years ago when I realized how much cheaper buying anime DVDs online is.
This bothers me sooo much. When I went to New York Anime Festival with my friends, all they were interested in buying were buttons and kitty-ears (and one friend seriously considered buying a corset that costed $120). Meanwhile, when I bought a bunch of anime DVDs, they looked at me like I had five heads and asked why I was buying anime - the actual product we were all at the convention for! And what's even sadder is when people complain how expensive anime is but they're willing to spend $40 on buttons... 
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Redmaigo
 Posts: 7 |
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If you mean the Lone Star Comics shop across from the Irving Mall then, alas, it has been gone for a number of years. The only "anime shop" left in DFW is Anime Pop. And it is more about anime merchandise than anime or manga. It still remains a busy hub for local anime fans though. At least the last time I was there which had to be about a year or year and a half ago. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4584 |
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I've never so much as seen a dedicated anime/manga store, much less shopped in one. Hell, the closest comic book/gaming store I know of is almost a half-hour away, though there could be one closer than that I haven't stumbled across. I live in a fairly-populous section of the Philly suburbs, but either there's absolutely no interest in that kind of stuff around here, or else it publicizes itself so poorly that I've never heard of it. The place I've done the vast majority of my brick-and-mortar purchases is our local Best Buy, which is one of the few that still maintains a decent anime section, though obviously not nearly as large as it used to be. Other than that and poking through the random old Geneon singles at FYE in the mall, there's not really anything else.
(Oddly enough, I randomly discovered a while back that the chain Five Below sells ramune. I wasn't exactly impressed by the taste, but it was worth one bottle just to say I'd tried it.  )
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GDFan
 Posts: 254 Location: North of Boston |
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I feel stupid saying this but I didn't even know stores like this existed.
According to Google maps it's only a 36 minute drive for me. I can't wait to see this in person. |
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gilnokoibito
 Posts: 109 |
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This article made me a bit sad (even more so because one of my dream's have been to open an anime shop near where I live - or heck even a standard bookstore would be nice since there isn't one within less than 3 hours from where I live!), but it rung very true.
I live in Kentucky, and several years ago we had a sort of misc. hobby shop of sorts open up called Sword in the Stone. They sold things like RPGs, card games, and had a bit of DVDs and manga as well as some interesting anime merch (such as plushies, notebooks, bags, and shirts) and even some cool figures! (I bought my first Pinky St doll there! Ah...fond memories...) It's owner's (a husband and wife who had a young daughter named Luna and a dog named Eien! Oh yeah! ) even held a small anime event once a year or so. It was great fun! Sadly as the economy got worse, they had to start stocking more of what sold best - video games. They even started up a sell your used games/DVDs to us type thing. The owner made mention that a lot of people came in the store, but not many bought anything. So, he started listening to requests (like some yaoi from the oddly large fangirl base we have here). But it didn't save them in the end...they had a bunch of their video games and some other items (including their own XBox controllers and iPod) stolen and couldn't recover from it. They closed up shop a couple of years ago. Now, a pure video game shop is there. I feel sort of bad too, back then I had no income and could rarely buy anything when I'd visit. I was in high school and didn't get an allowance. But now I'm in college and have about a grand extra to spend each semester! But now all that's left for me is places like Amazon and eBay...I feel bad that I couldn't spend my money there and help out a local business while getting awesome gear. There is another shop about an hour from where I live that I've heard sells some anime stuff along with their RPGs, cards, and comics (and is the store where the owner of Sword in the Stone originally worked). But I've not gotten to go there yet so I can't really comment on their anime selection. But to anyone who might be near Pikeville, KY - it's called Page 3. |
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5839 Location: Virginia, United States |
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Trilogy Comics in Virginia Beach, Virginia is probably your best bet in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
It is a comic book shop, but have a large manga section. They have figurines, models, and even better, some Japanese anime magazines. Sadly though, most of their stuff comes through Diamond. They usually make the East Coast anime convention circuit, so some of you may have seen them there. That Boston store sounds great though, will have to remember it if I ever get up there. |
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GhostShell
Posts: 1009 Location: Richmond, B.C., Canada |
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After reading this article, I thought about what stores I frequented to purchase anime, anime-related items, and manga,and I found myself thinking I was quite fortunate in the number available.
In the Vancouver and 'burb area, either within walking or transit distance, at least six stores: Soul Of Anime (used to sell figures, models, magazines, art books, and small stuff, but now no longer sells magazines and art books); Imperial Hobbies (a true hobby store that also sells figures, comics, and some manga); J-Hobby (focuses on rare Japanese collectibles and models, and has a great selection of figures); Sakura (figures, models, artbooks, DVDs, BDs, manga, and at one time used to have a great selection of music CDs, but no longer); Golden Age Collectibles (comics, books, manga, figures); C&L Multimedia (a great selection of manga and anime). And that's not including the local Chapters/Indigo stores that have a limited selection of manga. In fact, one of our main malls (a fifteen minute walk) had at one time two anime stores (Soul Of Anime and a branch of Sakura). In addition to HobbyLinkJapan, from whom I purchase the majority of my figures, albeit via on-line, the stores I've mentioned have contributed in one way or another to a growing anime/manga collection in various degrees. |
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vermilionone
Posts: 45 |
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I'm glad this topic got posted, I've been thinking about it a lot lately.
If you come to San Francisco, you have to come to Japan Video. http://www.yelp.com/biz/japan-video-and-media-san-francisco For an Otaku, it should be a tourist destination. It's been selling anime on video since 1984 and when the owner, Tak, maintained a rental section, it was one of the most comprehensive ones out there. I do not buy anime anywhere else if Tak can still get me a copy, even if it means having to wait a couple of weeks for a reorder to come in. Japan Video has hosted or co-sponsored the anime component of two events this year: The Northern California Chery Blossom Festival and J-Pop festival. Additionally, this weekend Tak will be putting on his own one-day anime show. That sort of love and effort is infinitely more valuable than saving a few bucks, at least to me, since Amazon sales don't entertain kids, or bring people together, or stop and chat on rainy days. Japan Video actually has been supporting anime in the US since its inception. The other month Tak showed me the anime schedule from Bay-Con 84. This was when programming schedules had detailed write-ups of anime plots since the video itself was raw. What's really noteworthy is the guy who put it together, a Pre-Japan trip Toren Smith (He ended up living with Gainax for a while. Yes, Smith Toren in Gunbuster), founder of Studeo Proteus, thanking Tak and Seiji Horibuchi (who would found Viz two years later) for helping him decide on, and acquire programming. I dunno, for me it creates a sense of continuity with the past and a bit of excitement for the future of anime. Who knows which guys at Cherry Blossom Festival are going to be the ones innovating in the anime industry in two years? If only for that, it's worth it chatting with Tak, and it doesn't hurt to keep the store going by picking up one of the plushies by the door, or something from their still large anime, drama, and tokusatsu sections. |
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RZetlin
 Posts: 87 |
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I rely on brick and mortar anime stores because online shipping is too expensive! ($30 to $50 Cdn.)
Luckily I live in the GTA so I have access to some stores. AnimeXtreme: Over ten years in business, this is the top store to get anime goods (Manga, Gundam to Anime figures). They get new goods frequently. (http://www.facebook.com/AnimeXtreme.ca) Aura Model Shop: A small store located on the third floor of a movie mall complex. The store doesn’t sell manga or DVDs, but they carry Gundams, Figmas, and model tools. They don’t get new orders frequently, but they have some stuff that AnimeXtreme doesn’t sell. (auramodelshop.com) Silver Snail: A comic book store more aimed at American comic books. They still have a small selection of manga and anime figures. (www.silversnail.com) One Million Comix: Like Silver Snail, they specialize in American books, but they have a small selection of manga and anime figures. (onemillionncomix.com) Hairy Tarantula: A store that is easily missed on the streets. They have a decent selection of manga, and a very small collection of figures. (hairyt.com) World’s Biggest Bookstore/Chapters/Indigo: These book stores are the place to go to get manga. It’s even cheaper to buy them online (chapters.ca) Pacific Mall: A couple of stores sell anime goods. After visiting the place after 5 years, the stores that sell anime goods have shrunk down a lot. (pacificmalltoronto.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KikiWai: This store needs special mention. This store had the best anime selection that I had seen. Sadly the store closed down over 2 years ago due to a rat infestation and it was reported the owner went back to Hong Kong. (http://kumai.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/kikiwai-toronto-closed-because-of-rodents/) |
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14773 |
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What ever happened to Anime Crash? That was one of the first big ones 15-20 years ago at downtown Manhattan right across the big Tower Records.
Another old one was Anime Castle, when they were just a nondescript warehouse in the middle of nowhere industrial boondocks of the city, with only a metal red door and a small sticker of their name to identify them out of all the other warehouses. I couldn't find that big thing - it was like walking into a hidden speakeasy (except inside were warehouse and warehouse full of stuff). 
Then there was the acquaintance who had a shop that sold Gundam kits. Just Gundam. Lots of it. Didn't last..........
That wasn't even their original location. We frequented and knew the owners before they moved far away there a decade ago. |
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sommer89
 Posts: 84 |
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Verry few in my area best buy to the north of my town is a long shot to find anything older then the last 3 years. Fye to the south of my town their stock is unpredictable at best they can go from having a huge whole wall to a little 1/4 of a wall and a comic shop in the same town as the fye i doubt they carry manga but they do carry some anime figures but thats about all i know. And since the walden books closed in the mall were the fye is i cant get manga and anime at the same location.
Its an hour to two hours to find a anime shop of any kind in northwest ohio. Last edited by sommer89 on Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1748 |
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Yeah...no. I've been to Japantown and this store several times, and I'll go whenever the New People Museum has an artist that I want to see. I don't find Japan Video impressive, at least, not compared to the anime stores that I was familiar with in the 1990s. Granted, the store has a good selection of Asian drams and kung-fu films, but on anime related merchandise, not so much. Perhaps I have high expectations having been spoiled by these stores having so much stuff, but compared to Beaman's, Japan Video is insignificant. In short, if you're in Japantown and want some anime trinkets, just go to the Nijiya supermarket. They have a good selection of small anime figures (the 6 inch candy + toy variety) for reasonable prices. If what you're looking for are merchandise from current productions like PreCure, then, go here. Otherwise, find youself a good deputy service and bid on whatever you want on Yahoo Japan. |
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